The Importance of Inspiring our Youth to Take to the Clouds

The CAHS has sadly lost a number of long-time and dedicated members over the past few months. Knowing their ages, their passing does not come as a surprise, but unfortunately, chronology is catching up to precious CAHS friends and contributors. As one generation folds its wings, we hope to add a new generation of aviation enthusiasts to our ranks by inspiring and securing more youth to become CAHS members - from high school and college students, to air cadets, to nieces, nephews, sons, daughters, grandsons, and granddaughters.

I have also been doing research into workforce shortages in the civilian and military aviation industry. Canada is not alone in facing a shortage of pilots, technicians, air traffic controllers, and manufacturing workers in both the military and the civilian workforces. These shortages can only be addressed by convincing more youth that careers in aviation are exciting, fulfilling, well-paying, available, and nationally important.

I remember being introduced as a pre-teen to aviation history by my father; he loved aviation history, and he served in the Royal Canadian Air Force (eventually for 25 years). He would take me to air shows and show me war movies. Consequently, I have fallen in love with reading, researching, and writing aviation history. I also love to fly as a passenger in aircraft; I'm not sure why I never pursued a pilot's license.

I also remember a college student telling the CAHS group to whom she was giving a guided tour that she was inspired to pursue an aviation technician career when she was six years old after finding books about helicopters on the bottom shelves of her father's library. If you as an individual can think of a way to inspire a youth to fall in love with aviation, do it. If your organization (such as a museum) can find opportunities to incorporate ways of introducing students to aviation jobs opportunities, we encourage you to create such programs (and let us share these events in our newsletter). What a privilege it would be to know that we were to help bring the awe-inspiring clouds just a little closer to our young friends and relatives' reach!

With this in mind, we ask that you think about whom you can inspire to fall in love with aviation - by taking a friend or relative to an air show or museum, by encouraging your children and grandchildren to check out aviation industry jobs at career fairs, by sharing an aviation history book, magazine or movie, or by giving a gift of a CAHS membership (https://www.cahs.com/store/c57/gift-membership).